A man had a “very lucky escape” when he was almost crushed in a bin lorry after falling asleep in a skip in Birmingham.

The man, who has not been named but is believed to be of Eastern European origin, awoke to find himself in the back of the lorry shortly after 5am.

He had been hidden under debris in the skip as it was emptied into the truck, and refuse collectors had switched on the vehicle’s compressors, unaware he was trapped inside.

The 30-year-old man called police from his mobile phone and the bin lorry was tracked down and stopped. He was rescued unharmed by firefighters and engineers from Birmingham City Council.

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called at 5.06am today by a man trapped inside a rubbish lorry. The lorry was tracked down at a council depot in Montague Street. No further police action was taken.”

A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: “Crews found the man trapped in the rear of a refuse lorry. Considering the type of machinery involved he had a very lucky escape.”

A council spokesman said refuse collectors heard banging from the back of the lorry. He added: “He started to shout and within minutes the crew heard him above the machinery and turned off the compressors.”

The man was treated for minor cuts and bruises, a spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said.